


Of Contracts and Condradictions

by abi_rose2002



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Alastor refuses to accept he has feelings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Evil Alastor, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn, referenced cannabilism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:15:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25828804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abi_rose2002/pseuds/abi_rose2002
Summary: Charlie is worried about how Valentino treats Angel, but what can she do? Only overlords can hold the contracts of lesser demons, and with Angel's contract bound to the overgrown cockroach, there isn't much the hotel can do. Luckily for Angel, Charlie knows just the bargaining demon that could be the key to Angel's freedom.But does Angel really want to be free?
Relationships: Alastor/Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Charlie Magne/Vaggie
Comments: 39
Kudos: 222





	1. Every Demon has a Price

The hotel was almost deafeningly quiet, save for the soft patter of Charlie’s shoes against the tile floor as she paced about the lobby. The hellborn bit on a nail worryingly while her girlfriend sat on an adjacent couch. 

“What’re we going to do! We can’t have him leaving the hotel to get laid, but if word gets out that he’s in this bad of a shape we’ll be done for!” Charlie threw her hands in the air to accentuate her point, stopping in front of Vaggie who was currently bent over on the couch. Vaggie sighed and gestured in the direction the spider-demon in question had run off. 

“I know you’re worried, but it isn’t like there’s much we can do. Angel belongs to Valentino, even with your social standing there’s only so much protection this place can provide.” The moth demon explained with a dejected scowl. As much as the porn-star bothered her, she was just as distraught as her lover with the current situation. Vaggie watched as Charlie resumed her pacing, her thoughts running a mile a minute trying to figure out a solution. 

“Just get rid of em’, it’s not like you can’t find another ‘wayward soul’ to redeem.” Husk’s gravely voice piped up from behind the bar, shrugging when Charlie sent him a disapproving glare.

“Can you even imagine what a field day the media would have if my first and only patron had to be discharged solely because of his job? That would ruin what little image we have!” Charlie took a steadying breath and rung her hands together a few times before continuing, “not to mention the fact that I can’t just leave Angel like this, that asshole of an overlord is destroying him.” The princess sat down next to Vaggie as she remembered what state Angel had been in when he returned to the hotel. His clothes had been torn, visible scratches and bruises littering his body, as well as the fact that he’d hardly spoken upon his return. That fact in itself is enough to cause concern.   
Vaggie stroked the other demon’s hand lovingly, doing as much as she could to comfort her.

“Charlie, there’s nothing that can be done. Valentino holds Angel’s contract. Even if we got ahold of it, it’s not like we can keep a contract ourselves, we’d have to sell Angel off to another overlord.” Charlie held her head in her hands and sniffled, before wiping her eyes on her sleeve and mumbling.   
“Another overlord huh, so whatever we do Angel can’t be free to stay at the hotel?” Charlie looked close to breaking down at this point, so Vaggie settled with nodding and rubbed her partner’s back.   
Instead of breaking down however, Charlie shot rail-rod straight, almost tripping over her feet in the process, spun in a circle, and threw her arms around the moth demon and squealed. 

“That’s it Vaggie! That’s how we’re gonna save Angel and the hotel!” Charlie untangled herself from Vaggie and started towards the door, practically skipping. Vaggie made to run towards her, stuttering in confusion.

“What? What’s how we’re gonna save Angel? Charlie, slow down!” Charlie gripped the doorknob and flashed Vaggie a wide smile before exclaiming: “Another overlord!” and flinging herself through the hotel doors. 

Charlie didn’t have much of a thought-through plan after excitedly rushing out of the hotel, other than that she knew where she was heading. The Gluttony Circuit wasn’t a place she found herself often, aside from the cooking lessons her mother had insisted she take. After entering the subsection of Hell, came the task of locating her destination: The Radio Tower. It wasn’t particularly hard to find, but the limo driver did spot it before she did. It stood tall in the south corner of the area, thin and solitary with dense woods surrounding the bottom. Charlie was surprised trees even grew in Hell, honestly. As the car pulled closer, she could almost feel the static buzzing that emanated from the tower. Alastor’s domain was free of the gaudy neon lights and crass stores that littered the rest of Hell, and very few demons seemed to wander anywhere near the tower.

Charlie didn’t blame them, she wouldn’t want to end up someone’s dinner either. 

The driver pulled around to the front of the tower, and Charlie stepped out of the car, gawking at the sheer size of the tower itself. Sure, the hotel was pretty tall, it had to be to keep so many (hypothetical) guests. But this, the Radio Tower, was at least twice the hotel’s height. Seeing as Alastor didn’t employ anyone other than Husk and Niffty, and they worked at the hotel, Charlie found herself wondering just what exactly all that extra space was for. A question for another day perhaps.  
She brought her pale hand up to the polished oak door of the tower, eyeing the antlers engraved into the wood. She knocked exactly three times, what the Radio Demon had told her to do when she needed him and he was absent from the hotel. The knocks reverberated through the room beyond the door, and Charlie worried that maybe she’d made a mistake coming here so thoughtlessly. Al told her only to retrieve him from the tower if there was an emergency, but she’d been so focused on helping Angel that she’d forgotten every warning the deer had given her. A few seconds after the knocks, the door swung open with a rush of air, pushing Charlie inside.  
The door slammed shut behind her and Charlie heard the lock click into place. She swept her eyes around the room, eyeing old movie posters, vintage radios, record players, and a floor-to-ceiling shelf of aged whiskey. It was almost as if she’d stepped into a time capsule. Finally, Charlie’s gaze landed on a polished wood desk, complete with an old leather chair with a rather disheveled radio demon perched atop it. 

“Charlotte! To what do I owe the pleasure of this rather, unannounced visit.” The familiar radio tin of Alastor’s voice seemed to bounce around the small office, the wide smile seeming more menacing than friendly at the current moment. Charlie fiddled with a strand of hair before puffing up her chest and beginning her tirade to sway the demon.

“W-well Al, I’ve got something of a request for you,” she watched as Alastor’s claw tips clicked impatiently on the desk. “I know you normally make deals with your voodoo and all that jazz, but I was hoping I could cash in a bit of a favor, as your friend.” Al’s eyes narrowed a bit as the corners of his smile twitched slightly. 

“You know I’ve a bit of a soft spot for you and your passion project dear, but I have quite the reputation to uphold. I simply cannot go helping everyone willy-nilly.” Alastor fluffed his hands around as a means to dismiss the thought, and stood from his desk. 

“Please Al, if you can’t help me there might not even be a project for me to run,” Alastor looked over to her with that, but kept on walking towards the shelf of expensive liquors. He grabbed a smaller bottle from the shelf and uncorked the bottle, motioning for Charlie to continue. “You know that Valentino holds Angel’s contract, right?” He nodded as he poured the amber drink. “Well, Val doesn’t want Angel staying at the hotel anymore an-”

“My, that’s wonderful news!” Al interrupted her with a flourish of his drink, clearly elated at the thought of the vulgar spider being gone from the hotel. Charlie’s face fell and she tugged at a strand of her blonde hair. 

“No, you need to let me explain,” she gazed up at him with pleading eyes. “Since Val doesn’t want Angel at the hotel, he won’t give Angel any work, and since Angel’s not working he isn’t making the money he’s supposed to, and since Angel isn’t bringing in any money, Valentino he-” She paused to think her words over, the image of Angel’s horrible state playing over in her head. Al narrowed his eyes again, and hissed through his pointed teeth. 

“I think I understand the general idea dear, no need for any ghastly imagery.” He set the drink down on a nearby table, pointedly running his claw around the rim of the glass. 

“So you’ll help? I have a vague plan, and I understand if you don’t want to do it, but you’re really my only hope at this point.” Charlie was gesturing wildly now, and was about to continue rambling when Alastor held a hand up to her face.

“Now Charlotte, as much as I love your little hotel, and as much as I detest that cockroach,” he spat the last few words a little more vehemently than normal, “I cannot go too out of my way just to rescue a lowly adult starlet.” Alastor clasped his hands behind his back and lent down near the hellborn, who looked to be on the brink of tears. “However, because you’ve been so generous as to let me sponsor your hotel, I will consider whatever plan you’ve thrown together. Charlie bounced on her heels and sucked in a hopeful breath, but promptly steadied herself as to best explain her plan.

“So, since you’re an overlord,” she gestured up to Alastor, “and especially one Valentino isn’t very fond of, I want you to go and haggle with Val to get Angel’s contract.” Charlie stomped her foot a bit, punctuating her words. Al scoffed quietly before replying. 

“You want me to HAGGLE, with a pimp, for the contract of a lewd spider that offered me fellatio upon our first meeting?” The air around Alastor seemed to buzz a little, his words a good bit more accented than normal. Feeling more than a little helpless, Charlie sighed and hugged her shoulders, preparing herself to do the unthinkable. 

“What if I give you full control of Angel’s contract? You could make him work for you or hunt you food or whatever it is you do here.” She shuddered a bit at the thought of Angel being at the mercy of the Radio Demon, but it seemed far better than the alternative. Alastor tapped a claw to one of his pointed teeth, seemingly thinking it over. Charlie saw the smile grow a tad wider and Al’s eyes glow a bit brighter, and wondered if she’d really made the best decision.

“So I could do anything I pleased with Angel’s contract, regardless of how you feel on the matter?” Alastor summoned his microphone and made a show of twirling it. Charlie grimaced at that, not liking the devious look on the demon’s face.

“As long as you promise to keep Angel and the hotel safe.” With her approval, Alastor grinned and extended a clawed hand towards Charlie. The room seemed to glow, and the smell of warm soil and humid air met Charlie’s nose. Alastor’s face had a wicked smile to it, and the radio filter seemed almost gone with his next words.

“So it’s a deal, then?” Charlie’s gaze flicked from Alastor’s hand to her own, she knew this was bad. Vaggie told her not to make any deals, that Al couldn’t be trusted. She knew that he probably had some twisted plan to turn this around on her, but if he’d promised to keep both Angel and the hotel safe, what’s the worst that could happen? She gulped before tentatively bringing her hand closer to the Radio demon’s, and even gasped a little when his claws wrapped around her delicate hand and dug in a little too tightly. Charlie saw flickers of shadows in the corner of her vision, seemingly mocking her. She felt the rush of power between their interlocked hands, before Alastor pulled away and made to leave the tower. Her hands were shaky and her throat hoarse, but nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. She spoke to no one in particular, her parting words to the other demon almost a whisper. 

“It’s a deal.”


	2. Crushing Cockroaches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alastor obtains Angel's contract with much more ease than expected, but with the Radio Demon now holding his contract, what is little Angel to do?

Alastor wasn’t entirely sure if this was the best deal he’d ever made. He needed to help Charlie, as both a business partner and something akin to moral obligation. However, neglecting to make a deal with her and helping out of the sheer ‘kindness of his heart’ wouldn’t do wonderful things for his reputation. 

So here he was, standing pointedly in front of the Porn Studio and tapping his microphone to his sneer thoughtfully. Making a scene and plowing through the studio would be the easier option, but Charlie had insisted this be done with as little violence as necessary. Fan-dangling his way to Valentino it is.

Pushing past the plush velvet doors, Alastor kept his gaze straight-ahead, to see as little as the unsightly place as he could manage. The demon at the front desk was fiddling on her phone, and it took everything in his power for Al not to recoil at the barely-there clothes hanging from the secretary. He tapped his microphone on the desk a few times, gaining the bored stare of the demon. She snarled up at him.

“What? No one but clients and whores past this point.” She nearly spat at the deer as Alastor’s patience grew thin. 

“I’m here to visit Valentino, one overlord to another.” He punctuated the ‘overlord’ part a little, trying to rush this exchange as much as possible. The secretary simply groaned and pushed a little button with her (painfully fake) fingernails. 

“Val, that strawberry fucker’s here to see you.” The intercom clicked twice before Valentino’s garbled voice came out of it.

“Is he? Send him on up then doll, an’ don’t give him too much trouble.” She lifted a thin finger off the button and jabbed her thumb behind her, motioning to the solid gold elevator behind the front desk. 

“12th floor.” She returned her attention to her phone and propped her feet up on the desk, watching as Alastor tentatively made his way over. 

“Of course.” His radio filter was slightly more aggravated than normal, the environment of the place certainly putting him on edge. Alastor stepped into the gaudy elevator and examined the large space. Much too large for an elevator at least, and he worried if it’d been used for more than just quick transportation. The buttons were made of chunky fake crystal, and squeaked a little when he pressed them down. 

“Tacky.” Alastor leaned his microphone on the wall and clasped his hands behind him as the elevator sprung to life. 

“You would think that, wouldn’t you?” The voice came out low and smooth, a clear contrast to Alastor’s own. He whipped his head around to see the other man standing there, clad in a clean suit and lime-colored tie. 

“Funny to see you here, ay Vox?” Al reached for his staff defensively, snarling when the older man chuckled at him. 

“Don’t get your panties in a twist Bambi, I’m here helping Val with a shoot,” Vox waved his hand dismissively, before a look of realization flashed across his screen. “Although, it’s pretty strange to see you here, since you detest both fucking and that ‘newfangled’ television.” Vox made a show to imitate the deer's voice, resulting in a fairly volatile reaction.

“Purely business! And don’t fret, I won’t be touching your precious cockroach anytime soon,” Alastor glared at the man, swatting him on the shoulder with his mic as the elevator came to a stop. “I’m afraid I can't say the same about his merchandise though.” As the doors opened, Alastor pushed Vox onto his floor with a flourish, relishing the disgruntled look on the man’s features.

“You’d better not be up to any freaky shit Alastor, or I swear I’ll-” the doors slammed to a close, taking Vox’s empty threats with them. 

“How unfortunate.” The Radio demon chuckled as his own stop came closer. The plan was simple in writing: to obtain Angel’s contract with as little hassle as possible. However, Alastor wasn’t stupid. He knew that Angel made a solid chunk of Valentino’s money, and there’s no way Val would give up his prized cash cow so easily. 

Or at least that’s what he thought.

But when those golden doors opened and he approached the insect demon, prepared for quite the battle, he was offered a glass of champagne.

“Al! Mind if I call ya’ that? Rolls off the tongue a bit nicer doesn’t it.” The roach had sat Al down in a plush chair in front of his own, swirling his personal champagne flute around joyfully. The air around Alastor seemed to crackle.

“As much as I adore pleasantries, I fear that I have a rather difficult matter to discuss.” He traced his claws around a knob of wood on the chair, watching Valentino’s crooked smile stretch open. 

“Whatever you need, Antlers.” Val’s giant shades slipped down his face a bit, showcasing those hollow, insect-like eyes. Alastor figured it’d be better to get straight to the point, dancing around the issue wouldn’t get him anywhere with Val. Just rip it off like a band-aid.

“I’d like for you to give me Angel’s contract.” Al watched as Valentino’s brows shot up. He began shaking rather violently, something of a hissing noise radiating off of him. Alastor gripped his staff, ready to really honor that ‘whatever it takes’ part of the deal. Val brought a gloved hand down hard unto the wood of the desk, shaking the glasses and nearly knocking his over. All of Alastor’s fight instincts were alight, ears perked up and knuckles nearly white from gripping his microphone. But Val wasn’t attacking him, he was seemingly pretty vulnerable, actually. Was he…

Laughing?

Valentino threw his head back, pearly teeth gleaming as he barked with laughter. Alastor was annoyed now, the familiar radio dials beginning to make an appearance on his face. Val noticed this, and promptly attempted to calm himself down. 

“Calm down there Al,” Val wheezed out the words, taking a few steadying breaths before continuing. “Wouldn’t want you to blow a gasket or anything.” Valentino let out a few more puffs of air while refilling the spilled glasses.

“Are you finished?” Alastor’s words were clipped as he flicked a piece of lint off his jacket. Val took a deep breath and leaned across the desk, his face a breath away from Alastor’s. 

“You want that sluts contract? Here, take it.” He spit the words as he flung a piece of rolled paper at the deer, who caught it with little effort. Alastor examined the roll, it was sealed with a gold stamp and tied with a delicately placed pink bow. He cocked an eyebrow at Valentino.

“Just like that? I didn’t expect you to be such a good sport so quickly.” Alastor gripped the paper in case Val was bluffing, but the latter made no attempt to take the contract back. The roach stood from his chair and stretched all four arms. 

“Piece of shit doesn't make any cash anymore, what’s the point of keeping him?” Val shrugged and fluffed his coat around his shoulders. “Plus, roughing him up all nice whenever he failed to make ends meet was starting to get a little, repetitive.” Alastor felt his fur bristle at those words. Al was a violent person sure, but senselessly beating people wasn’t something he could get behind. 

Valentino laughed at the reaction and decided to prod a little more. 

“Maybe with you holding his contract, you can light a little voodoo fire under his ass or something and get his work ethic up.” Val giggled and waggled his fingers as Alastor stood and twirled his mic under the bug’s chin.

“I’ll be taking my leave then, if you have nothing else to say.” Valentino backed away and gave Alastor a wide berth to make his leave.

* * *

“You did WHAT!” Vaggie’s yells echoed around the lobby, making Husk cover his ears and huddle behind the bar. Charlie reached out to her girlfriend, doing her best to calm the moth down. 

“I know you don’t like it Vags, but I really couldn’t think of any other way to save both Angel and the Hotel. Everything’s gonna be okay, I promise,” Charlie cooed sweetly at the other girl, guiding her to sit down on the sofa. 

“You can’t be serious Charlie, have you ever SEEN what he does to people!” Charlie gulped and brushed her hair behind her ear, but she’d made up her mind.

“I know he’s not a good person, but he promised to keep Angel and the hotel safe.” Charlie folded her hands in her lap and looked at Vaggie’s worried expression.

“You’re really going to believe that? A petty promise isn’t going to stop an Eldritch horror from getting what he wants.” Husk’s ears perked back up, clearly wanting to provide his two cents on the matter. 

“If I can be honest with ya’ for a bit, I don’t think you should worry too much yet. As long as I’ve known Al, he’s never once broken a promise,” Vaggie scoffed at that, and Husk made to clean out a glass as he continued. “Yeah he’s made some pretty one-sided deals, but most of those suckers knew exactly what they were gettin’ into.” Husk shrugged and watched the girl deflate into the couch, having lost the energy to argue the matter any further. Vaggie turned to her partner, expression softening as she looked at Charlie’s hopeful smile. 

“C’mon Vags, I think you should at least give him a chance. I promise the second he does anything shady I’ll let you spear his guts out, okay?” Vaggie laughed hollowly and went to hold her head in her hands. A few beats of uncomfortable silence passed between them before bounding footsteps could be heard on the stairs.

“Yeesh, what’s everyone lookin’ so damn glum for, shit’s s’posed to be the ‘Happy Hotel’ ain’t it?” Charlie’s eyes widened and she heard Vaggie suck in a breath.

“Angel, I didn’t expect you to be back so soon.” Charlie looked over Angel, he’d put on a rather modest outfit, a baggy pink sweater contrasting his normal flamboyant clothes. He’d brushed his fur down, and covered most of the bruised areas, aside from his eye, which had been brushed over with various powders. 

“Yeah well, boss man called me an’ said he wanted to talk, so imma take my leave and be back later.” Angel smoothed down a last piece of fur, and made to leave, although taking much smaller strides than normal. 

Charlie was halfway off the couch ready to go after him when the door flew open, stopping the spider in his tracks.

“I’ve retrieved the harlot’s contract from Valentino, per your request!” Alastor addressed the entire room, brandishing the contract and bowing at the waist slightly,as if he’d just finished a grand performance. Charlie heard Vaggie whisper a string of Spanish cusses before Angel practically exploded. 

“S’cuse me? Who tha’ fuck you think you are goin’ and doin’ that!” Angel rushed at Alastor, grabbing at the contract with one set of hands and going for Al’s antlers with the other. Alastor bonked Angel with his microphone, mumbling “Five foot rule” before pushing the angered spider a few paces backwards.

“FUCK you an’ your damn ‘five foot’ rule!” Angel stomped and crossed both sets of arms, practically seething with malice. “Thas’ my goddamn livelihood your holdn’ ya’ prude!” Alastor simply let out a huff and stuffed the contract away, turning to make his leave and hole himself up in his room. 

“I believe something of a ‘thank you’ is in order Angel, but I wouldn’t want you to ruffle your fur any further.” Alastor stepped away through a apperating portal before Angel could get his claws into him. Angel screamed, wrapping all sets of arms around himself and huffing.

“Stupid sonofabitch  _ stronzo cervo  _ thinkn’ he can go an’-” 

“Angel,” Charlie’s calm voice cut through Angel’s profane rant, and she placed a hand warmly on his lower set of arms. “We did this for you, I couldn’t stand the way Val was hurting you and something needed to be done.” Angel jerked away from her, all his eyes focusing on her pitiful expression. 

“You did this Princess? You’re tha’ one who jus’ ruined my entire fuckin’ AFTERLIFE!” Angel threw his hands in the air and breathed out hard. Charlie hugged herself and focused on her shoes. Angel sighed and made his way through the lobby, evidently giving up on reporting to his former boss

“I was only trying to help.” Charlie’s voice came out meek and quiet, but Angel heard it nonetheless.

  
“Well maybe you shouldn’ meddle in other people business,  _ cagna. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These short-ish chapters are surprisingly easy to crank out. I hope that there's not too much angst so early on, and I promise they'll be more interaction of our two boys in the chapters to come!


	3. Soup and Sappy Spiders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel and Alastor have a heart to heart about Angel's feelings towards Val, as well as eat some soup.

Angel sat in his room, mulling over the news that he would no longer work at the Studio. Sure, he hadn’t made much cash lately, but he expected that the hotel would crash and burn, and he’d have Valentino to go back to. Angel was  _ mistreated  _ working for Val, but at least it was somewhere, some _ one  _ to trust would always be there for him. It had all been taken away in a single day.

So now Angel sat, petting Fat Nuggets, and cleaning the mess he made the night prior after his rampage. After stomping off, Charlie and Vaggie had come to the door trying to calm him and justify their actions. Deep down, he knew they were right. Valentino didn’t hurt anyone else at the Studio the way he hurt Angel, and Angel just kept going back to him. He liked the work, but it’s not like he couldn’t get a good fuck from any bozo on the street, and with Charlie giving him a place to stay and an allowance, it’s not like Angel needed to work.

He couldn’t bring himself to apologize, however. Honestly, if Charlie had talked to him about it, maybe they could’ve found a way to fix this that helped both of them. 

Angel hissed as three knocks rang on his door. The girls had been trying to get him to come out for  _ ages,  _ and Angel just needed some time to brood. After all, he could forgive wanting to liberate him from the Porn Studio, but giving him over to the cannibalistic deer was another matter entirely.

“Angel! My good fellow, you’d do me a great service if you would open the door for me.” 

_ Speak of the Devil.  _

Alastor knocked again, and Angel plopped himself down on his plush bed. 

“Like I’d open the door for  _ you,  _ freakshow. You’s the last person I wanna see.” Angel pouted petulantly and motioned for Fat Nuggets to jump to sit on the bed with him. 

“Come now, I’ve brought food, and I know for a fact you ate nothing yesterday.” Angel felt his stomach roar at the mention of food, and as much as he was enjoying his little tantrum, he was absolutely starved. Alastor seemed to have also heard Angel’s stomach, because the spider could hear his radio tinned chuckled from behind the door. Angel stood and made towards the locked door, long legs getting him there faster than he would’ve liked. Angel turned the lock and cracked the door open a smidge, peering at Alastor through the crack, who was looking at him rather expectantly. 

“Ya’ get five minutes tops, _capisce?”_ Angel moved aside to let Alastor in, hearing his stomach growl again at the scent of the food. 

“Yes whatever, just eat expeditiously and I’ll be on my way,” Al flung himself into the room, scaring Fat Nuggets who promptly scuttled into the closet. Angel huffed and took the tray of food from the deer, and ripped off a few pieces of the sandwich for the pig. Alastor glanced at the closet and cocked a magenta eyebrow. “How did you acquire a pet pig anyhow Angel, do you ever think that it could be a person whose hellish form took one of a nonverbal pig?” Alastor seemed satisfied with the conclusion, but Angel stopped mid-bite to process.

“Y’know, I never really thought about where Nuggets came from,” Angel set the sandwich down and picked up the glass of water. “He was just a gift from Val after I worked at the Studio for a year, I dunno where Val got him.” Angel shuddered a little at the thought of his precious pig actually being a demon whose new body was that of a baby pig. Alastor perked up at the mention of Valentino, and tweaked his jacket buttons before speaking.

“Speaking of the roach,” Angel glared at him, “he sent me a message this morning stating that you could go and retrieve your things.” Angel scowled and pointed a finger accusingly at Alastor.

“Why don’t  _ you  _ go an’ get my shit, since you’re the one who stole my damn contract.” Angel did his best to look threatening, but with the fluffy pink and white fur, it proved rather difficult. Alastor tutted and dinged Angel on the head with the microphone again. 

“Now Angel, I certainly didn’t  _ steal  _ anything, and I believe it would prove to be a bad idea if I went to get your things.” The thought of Alastor waltzing through the Porn Studio with all of Angel’s slutty clothes and sex toys was certainly enough to get a few laughs out of Angel. Upon thinking deeper about what the deer said though, an expression of confusion settled on Angel’s face.

“Well if ya’ didn’t  _ steal _ it, and Val’s still alive, how tha’ hell did you manage to get my contract? Val wouldn’t even let me look at it.” Angel crossed his lower set of arms and propped his head up on the other, apparently pouting. 

“I asked.” 

There were a few beats of tense silence between them, before Angel’s head perked up and he looked at Alastor, eyes wide.

“You just asked!” All of Angel’s arms motioned to the other demon, a flabbergasted look settling on his face.

“Valentino didn’t put up much resistance, it was a fairly short conversation, actually,” Alastor saw pinpricks of tears start to form in Angel’s eyes, and quickly shut his mouth. As much of a ‘people person’ he was, Alastor wasn’t particularly good with other people’s feelings. He put on the best look of sympathy he could and pat the spider’s head with the tip of his microphone. Angel wiped his eyes and snorted at the attempt to comfort him, swatting the stick away.

“Jesus Al, you’re pretty shit at comfortin’ people,” Angel seemed to have stopped crying, and Alastor considered that a ‘win.’ “but you should probably go, I’m not big on tha’ idea of you bein’ here much longer. Tell the girls I’m fine.” Alastor opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it as Angel settled into his bed. 

“Should I bring food again tomorrow?” Angel hesitated at the question. If Al brought food it meant he could avoid the girls a little while longer, but it also meant he’d have to let Alastor in the room and probably discuss his contract. As much as he hated heart-to-heart talks, he wanted to avoid Vaggie’s wrath for another day or two.

“Yeah, I think you should.”

* * *

  
  
Alastor did, in fact, bring Angel food the next day. Twice actually. Breakfast was delivered at six am sharp, in an attempt to get the sleepy spider out of bed. Alastor had brought a sugary coffee (which was honestly more milk and sugar than coffee) hoping that the sweet drink would energize Angel enough to get up and make amends with Charlie and Vaggie. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and Angel fell fast asleep after downing the coffee and pastry that Alastor left on his bedside table. Lunch was mildly more eventful, with Al bringing the same water and sandwich combo as the day before. Alastor had seemed eager to talk about yesterday’s events, but Angel made a point to seem as somber as possible. Hey, he had the damn Radio Demon bringing him his meals in bed, he was gonna ride this out as long as possible. 

It was nearing seven when Angel decided to be more productive, and lugged himself out of bed towards the bathroom. There wasn’t any point in wallowing forever, and if Angel had to face the girls, he’d rather look presentable. He started to run a bath, picking through the cupboard to find a scent he liked. He ended up settling on lavender, as he wasn’t really in the mood for anything aggressive. Angel hadn’t really had a proper bath in awhile, Val always preferred that he dust his fur down, since the water took a good couple hours to dry completely. Angel stripped off the worn clothes he’d been wearing for the past day and half and lowered himself into the tub. The tub was big, but was still a standard size, this being a hotel and all. Angel’s legs hardly fit, so he opted for crossing them and planting a foot on the wall above the facet. He felt the warmth from the water seep into his muscles and sighed, he really needed to take baths more often. 

It’d been about half an hour, and Angel had decided to just make tonight a full-on self-care session. He’d lit a few candles with a lighter he’d stolen from Husk’s bar, and had settled down to brush through his fur. He’d put on an old piece of clothing that Cherri gave him a decade or two after he died, it was an oversized white sweater with holes for his lower set of arms that Cherri had cut out herself. It wasn’t the cutest thing, but he liked to wear it whenever he was feeling sentimental. After he finished one leg, he went to move on to the next, only to be startled by Nuggets scurrying to the closet door for the third time today. 

“Sheesh Nuggs, I didn’t move tha’ fast did I?” Angel stood to comfort the pig, stopping when he heard the familiar three knocks on his door. As if on command, his stomach growled. Angel unlocked the door and glanced at the clock, noting that it was well past the normal time Vaggie served everyone in the hotel dinner. Angel opened the door for Alastor-they’d had a long talk about how the deer needed to stop throwing himself dramatically through the door-and went to sit down on the bed as to adhere to the demon’s personal space rule. Alastor was thankful for the extra space as he set the pot he was holding down on Angel’s dresser, and then noticed the surprisingly regular outfit the spider donned.

“That’s quite a bit more tame than normal, hm?” Alastor lifted the lid off the pot and fashioned a bowl seemingly out of thin air. 

“I was feelin’ somethin’ more cozy than normal, I guess,” Angel tugged at a loose thread on the shirt, only to notice that the radio demon was also in notably different clothing than usual. The suit jacket was absent, leaving Alastor in only his shirt and slacks. Not that Angel had spent many minutes looking at him, but the deer was fairly conventionally attractive. Angel snapped out of his thoughts when Al poured a bowl of whatever was in the pot, and the smell of spiced meat and broth filled the small room.

“What’s that? I know it’s taco night, and Vags always make’s em’ so she ‘feels more at home’ or somethin.’” Alastor handed Angel the bowl, which smelled delightfully upon inspection, and sat down in a chair across from Angel. 

“I wasn’t particularly in the mood for tacos tonight, so I whipped up some stew and figured I’d bring some up so you don’t starve.” Alastor leant over and propped his head on his knee, watching Angel slowly blow on the stew. In this light, sipping stew and draped in large clothing, Angel almost looked  _ cute. _ Cute like a puppy or a small child of course, which Alastor greatly preferred to the spider’s more vulgar demeanor. 

“S’good,” Angel paused before taking another spoonful, remembering just who made the stew. “There ain’t like,  _ people  _ in here, right?” Alastor laughed at Angel’s distraught expression, and assured him that there weren’t any demons in this particular batch.

Angel finished the stew without further incident, and set his bowl down on the bedside table. Angel glanced at Alastor, who made no motion to leave, and felt unease begin to creep up his spine. Al sensed the change in atmosphere, and figured Angel knew what needed to be discussed. 

“Angel,” He started slowly, knowing that the other demon hadn’t taken to these past few events easily. “I know you’re distraught with the thought of having to work under me, but I assure you that I only took your contract because Charlotte begged me to, and I couldn’t just leave the poor girl out to dry.” That, apparently, had been the wrong thing to say, going off the way Angel’s face scrunched up and his fur bristled. 

“So you didn’t even wanna help huh? You didn’t even care about gettin’ me outta that situation with Val, you just took my contract cause sweet little Charlie asked you to,” Angel curled in on himself, feeling tears creep into his eyes for the second time this week. Alastor was flustered, he really needed to hash out the terms of the contract, but it was clear that this needed to be addressed first. 

“Angel I was genuinely disgusted by the way that half-breed treated you,” Angel watched Al’s eyes glow a bit brighter than normal, “But it was my understanding that you _ wanted  _ to work for Valentino, you always brushed yourself off and meandered on back to the Studio after he was,” Alastor paused a bit to phrase his words, “done with you, so to speak.” Angel flinched and considered Alastor’s words. He  _ did  _ always go back, didn’t he? Angel considered opening up to Al, considering he worked for him now, he’d have to be honest eventually, what better time than the present?

“I did really wanna work there, in the beginning. An’ it was great, don’t get me wrong,” Angel flopped on his back to avoid looking at Alastor’s face, “but after a while it kinda lost its appeal I guess. I was workin’ long hours and having to turn to prostitution just to make enough cash to stay workin’ there.” Alastor stayed silent and let Angel continue, afraid that if he spoke the spider would lash out again. 

“Once I started helpin’ Charlie with the hotel, I didn’t really have time to do shoots for Val, and that certainly pissed em’ off,” Alastor scoffed, but stayed silent, “an’ anytime I came back from the hotel for work, he’d,-” Angel felt another well of tears coming on, and figured it’d be best to skip over details. 

“Honestly, I don’t why I kept goin’ back, I knew Charlie could help, with all her connections an’ all,” Angel twiddled with his thumbs and took a steadying breath. “I think I jus’ liked feelin’ wanted, to be honest with ya,’” Angel’s voice was starting to crack, but the words were already tumbling out of his mouth. “My dad always wanted me gone all tha’ time, with how much of a shit son I was, gay, girly, an’ a druggy, I was tha’ disappointment of tha’ whole fuckin’ family.” He heard Alastor shift in the chair, and made a split second decision to briefly glance his direction. Alastor’s brows were furrowed, his smile smaller than Angel had ever seen. Angel took some time to calm down and burrowed himself further into his blankets. 

“I guess I jus’ liked feelin’ loved by someone, Val didn’t care that I was gay and sluttly, Hell, he fuckin’ loved it. It was jus’ nice to feel like someone  _ needed  _ me, even if it was all fake.” Angel was buried in his pillows now, evidently done spilling his feelings to the Radio Demon. Al took in a deep breath, and stood up from the chair with a squeak that made Angel flinch. 

“I’m sorry, Angel, you have every right to feel how you feel, but you really must talk to Charlotte and Vaggie soon, they’re worried.” Angel noticed that the radio tin was all but gone now, noting that Alastor’s voice was much nicer without it.

“I know, I-I’ll go down tomorrow mornin’, swear on ma’ mom’s grave.” Angel crossed his heart, and Al laughed at that, reaching for the cold pot of stew, but stopping when he heard Angel squeak.

“A-Al, can I ask ya’ for a favor,” Angel had sat up, round eyes peering up at the demon, who gulped and clasped his hands behind his back.

“Within reason, yes,” Angel sighed and turned his gaze down to his fidgeting hands, and Alastor watched as the pink spots on Angel’s coat turned a slightly darker shade of pink. 

“Will ya’ stay?” It came out as nearly a whisper, and Alastor’s ears perked up as his body told him to  _ run _ , but after taking in Angel’s lithe form crumpled in a heap on the bed, eyes red and brimmed with tears, he knew the choice had already been made for him. 

“Of course,” he heard Angel let out a shaky breath and settle into bed. Al set the pot down and went to sit on the floor at the end of Angel’s bed. He watched the pig trot out from the closet and settle down next to him, and considered making an exit once the spider fell asleep. All plans of escape were swiftly discarded after Angel quietly muttered:

“Thanks, Al.”


	4. Awkward Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie worries over where Angel and Alastor are, and Alastor has a very uncomfterble experience

It was nearing noon, and neither Angel nor Alastor had come down to the lobby. Charlie and Vaggie sat on the couch, with Vaggie relieved at the abnormally quiet morning. Charlie, however, was much less relieved. She’d already been iffy about letting Al bring Angel all his meals yesterday, and now neither of them have come back from Angel’s room. Vaggie had assured her that both demons were fully capable of handling themselves, and were fine. Husk was worried that his boss had finally snapped, and outright  _ killed  _ Angel Dust, or worse, going by Alastor’s strange eating habits. Niffty couldn’t care less what had happened, she was just antsy to clean Angel’s room. Charlie finally snapped, shooting up and making a fist with her hand.

“That’s it, I’m going up to get them and nobody’s gonna stop me,” She pointed an accusing finger at Vaggie, who raised her hands in mock surrender.

“If you’re determined to check up on them, I’m going with you. I’d rather be safe than sorry,” Vaggie produced her spear from under the couch cushions, and stood slowly to accompany Charlie. Husk made an apprehensive noise from the bar, but continued polishing glasses nonetheless. 

“Best o’ luck to you, those two don’t particularly get along too well.” Charlie and Vaggie shared a tentative glance, but continued along anyway, as Charlie was all too determined to bring the boys down. 

Both girls started up the staircase, Angel’s room was on the third floor, and Charlie thought that only having stairs in the hotel would encourage exercise. They were halfway through the hallway of the second floor, when Vaggie pointed out something mildly worrying. 

“Uh, Charlie,” Vaggie pointed towards a large, red door, with an emblem of a deer’s head engraved in it. Instead of being thoroughly locked like normal, the door had been left wide open. Any wayward demon could’ve gone waltzing in.

“Well that’s certainly… odd.” Charlie went to close the door, as Alastor was always quite keen on keeping his door closed at all times. The only people allowed in or out were Husk and Niffty, and that’s only if Al was with them. So the fact that he would just abandon his door wide open like this was quite the cause for concern.

After closing the door, and being startled by the smell of bogwater that wafted towards them, they continued on to Angel’s room. 

After arriving at the door, Charlie hesitates to open it and Vaggie makes no moves to go near the door at. Charlie sighs and lifts her hand to the door to knock, preparing to do the special three knocks just in case Alastor  _ was  _ in there. She knocked and felt worry twinge up her spine when there wasn’t a response.

“Angel? It’s me, Charlie. If you don’t respond I’m just gonna come in, okay?” She waited with bated breath for Angel’s typical response of ‘go away bitch I’m sleepin’ here,” but when no noise was heard from the other side she pulled the skeleton key from her pocket. She heard Vaggie mumble something under her breath, clearly apprehensive about going in.

“It’ll be fine Vags,” Charlie turned the lock in the keyhole and slowly creaked the door open, “what’s the worst that could-”

Charlie was frozen in place as she took in the scene before her. To be fair, she’d prepared herself for the worst, like Angel’s head ripped off or the spider just missing entirely, certainly not  _ this. _

Angel was curled in his bed with matted fur and clearly swollen eyes, snoring softly. He almost looked angelic with the way the sunlight from the window was hitting him. The most shocking thing though, the thing that really had the girls flabbergasted, was that there at the foot of Angel’s bed was none other than the Radio Demon himself, slumped over and evidently sleeping. To add to the insanity, Fat Nuggets was curled up in Al’s lap, oinking quietly on every breath out. 

Aside from the sleeping noises in the room, it was completely silent. What was Charlie supposed to do anyway? Angel was fine, and Alastor seemed to be dead asleep for the first time in weeks. After sharing a knowing nod with Vaggie, they carefully closed the door and headed back towards the lobby. The walk back was much less eventful, but the conversation that ensued more than made up for it.

“So you’re telling me,” Husk paused and braced himself on the counter, “that Al’s up there passed out on that whore’s floor.” He spoke slowly, as if to confirm what he was hearing. Charlie nodded, still a bit shell-shocked, and watched as Husk broke out into a fit of laughter. The outrageousness of it all certainly was a bit funny, and Vaggie left to pour herself a strong cup of coffee to get her through the day.

  
  
  


Angel woke up with the strangest headache he’d ever had. His whole jaw hurt, and his skull ached and eyes burned. He climbed out of bed to use the bathroom, maybe eating two bowls of soup before bed was a bad idea. Angel gleaned at his reflection, noting that his eyes were puffy and he’d need to ice them. He splashed some water on his face, trying his best to wake up a little. He left the bathroom and grabbed the box of kibble for Nuggets. He shook the box in an attempt to find the pig, who normally carted himself off somewhere whenever Angel slept. 

“Nuggs! Where are ya’ little runt?” He finally put eyes on the little pig, who was in fact, snorting happily in Alastor’s lap. Angel groaned as all the events of last night hit him like a truck. He remembered the stew, and how he’d bawled his eyes out while sharing all of his internalized insecurities. Oh, and also how he’d pitifully asked the Radio Demon to spend the night with him. I mean, Alastor had evidently obliged, but that’s besides the point. 

Angel watched as Fat Nuggets started to wiggle to free himself from the weight of Al’s arms. The demon still smiled when he slept, but it was much less prominent than when he was awake. Nuggets finally freed himself, and Angel watched Al start to stir. He got suddenly nervous, watching the deer’s ears twitch this way and that as he sat up. Al’s hair was ruffled and his senses seemed much slower than normal, but Angel braced for the worst anyway. Alastor groaned and swept his eyes around the room, becoming more aware by the second. He finally landed on Angel, who was petting the pig in his lap.

“Good morning Angel!” Alastor was on his feet and putting up his talkative persona in seconds, the loud radio noises making Angel recoil. Alastor again felt the gnawing need to flee that he’d felt last night, but he at least wanted to assure himself that the spider was alright first, only so he could carry good news to Charlie, nothing else.

“G’mornin’ Al,” Angel stayed seated cross-legged on the floor, stroking Nuggets and avoiding the Radio Demon’s gaze. Alastor let himself linger on Angel for a moment longer, appreciating the modest sweater and lack of vulgar commentary. Angel flicked his eyes up suddenly, meeting Alastor’s stare. Their eyes stayed locked for a moment, and before Angel could say anything, Alastor whipped around, before Angel could see the reddening of his cheeks, and grabbed the discarded stew pot from the night before. 

“I must go and get this washed up before it starts to smell!” Al lifted the pot in the air and kicked the door open with the toe of his shoe. “And do come down, soon,” and with that the door slammed shut behind him, leaving Angel alone in the room. 

He got up to finally fill Nuggets’ food bowl, but not before noticing the rush of embarrassment that flooded through him. His anxiousness was definitely only because of the fact that he’d have to face Charlie and Vaggie, of course. What other reason could there be?


	5. Thwarting Thugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel sets off to find Al, determined to force the deer into talking about their contract. Things don't go so smoothly, however, and Alastor has to rescue Angel for the second time this week.

Alastor had all but fled the hotel by the time Angel had finally worked up the courage to venture out of his room. Angel was thankful, as that was one less person he’d have to face when he apologized for his outburst, but he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. 

Husk and Niffty were easy to confront, as Husk was just relieved the spider had survived (which earned a patronizing coo from Angel) and Niffty was thankful to be allowed in Angel’s room to clean. Charlie was holed up in her office, and Vaggie sat on the couch polishing one of her knives. Better late than never, Angel reasoned. 

He gulped audibly as he approached the younger demon, doing his best to seem as apologetic as possible. 

“Hey Vags, I jus’ wanted ta,’” she cut him off with a pointed glare and a huff. Sheathing the now-shined knife back into her belt and pushing herself up off the couch.

“Look Angel, I’m glad you’re fine,” she gave him a once-over before continuing, “but I’m not the one you owe an apology, I was against the idea from the start.” Angel pouted and placed a lower set of arms delicately on his hips, definitely crossing the other two across his chest. Vaggie rolled her eyes and pointed a finger in the direction of Charlie’s office. “Go and talk to Charlie, she needs to see you anyways.” 

Vaggie stormed off out of the hotel, presumably to fetch groceries. Which left Angel with his final task of the day: apologizing to the King of Hell’s daughter. 

Charlie’s office was across from Husk’s bar, so there wasn’t much of a walk to pep himself up with. He knocked on the big mahogany doors and sighed in relief when he heard Charlie’s chipper voice behind it. At least she didn’t  _ seem  _ mad, that was a start. Angel pushed the doors open, and set eyes on his friend, who was sitting straight up in her desk chair.

“Hello, Angel,” she spoke sweetly, as if afraid of spooking the spider. Said spider plopped down into a chair across from her, fumbling with his hands as he searched for words to say.

“I’m sorry Charlie, I really am, I didn’t mean to lash out at everyone like tha,’ especially not you,” he scratched his cheek tentatively, and sucked in a breath when he saw Charlie’s eyes start to well up. She suddenly pushed her chair back and threw herself over the desk, squeezing Angel with all of her strength. Which, surprisingly, was quite a lot.

“Sheesh, Charlie,” Angel managed to huff out, “I didn’t expect ya’ to get all sentimental.” Charlie mumbled a soft ‘sorry’ and sat back in her chair, whipping out a file folder from one of the many drawers.

“I almost forgot,” she opened the folder and started flipping through the contents, “Al wanted me to go over some stuff with you, regarding your contract.” Angel’s eyes widened as he let out a noise of disapproval. 

“Well why don’ he come down here and explain it to me himself then!” Angel huffed and looked out the window towards Al’s radio tower. Charlie chuckled hesitantly before fiddling with her hair.

“I’m sure he  _ wanted  _ to, but he was pretty frazzled when he woke up. He just came right downstairs and left, mumbling something about ‘unattended business.’” Charlie waggled her fingers, mimicking Alastor’s magic. Angel, being as stubborn as he is, made the decision to confront the Radio Demon himself, and hash out the details of his contract on his own terms. The deer had been running from this long enough, and Angel had just about had it.

Apparently Charlie had kept talking throughout Angel’s mental tirade, because she seemed rather shocked when he suddenly stood up and exclaimed that he was leaving. Angel was halfway out the door when Charlie processed what he’d said.

“Angel! You can’t just leave!” Although her pleas fell on deaf ears, since Angel was bounding down the street by the time Charlie got to the front door.

  
  
  
  


Angel had realized, eventually, that he’d made a rather rash decision. Firstly, he had absolutely no idea where Alastor was, secondly, he had no idea what to do or say when he got there, and lastly, the little spider demon had never been out of the Lust Circuit, and was genuinely lost. He’d tried to make his way to the Radio Tower, but a wrong turn here and there had led him all the way to the Pride Circle, where lovely old Vox had made his stay. Angel was sure that the news of him leaving the Porn Studio had spread by now, so he did his best to stay as out of sight as possible. Turns out though, staying out of sight as an extremely tall, white, spider demon/ex-porn star was pretty difficult. 

Angel had turned down a rather dark alley in hopes to get away from all the watchful eyes and pointing, but now he was thoroughly on edge. He heard voices from somewhere farther down the alley, and quickly skimmed the walls for an easy exit. Window? Too high, try running, maybe? Angel unfortunately wasn’t very fast, even with the long legs. Dumpster? Angel gagged at the thought of the contents of said dumpster, but it sure beats being beat up. He quickly shimmied in as he heard the voices coming closer, and boy was he glad he hid, because these particular goons seemed to be some of Vox’s lackeys. Angel felt his heart leap into his throat when four pairs of feet stopped in front of his dumpster.

“We should probably get on back to the boss, if I’m late one more time I think he’s gonna kill me,” one of them gave a dry laugh at that, and Angel thanked whatever God was listening when he heard the crunch of their footsteps turn to leave.

“Manny hold on, throw out your bottles before we go, you know how the boss likes to search.”

_ Fottimi nel culo  _

Angel held his breath as the man opened the dumpster with a fin, locking eyes with the shark demon before he broke out into a wide smile.

“Well, what do we have here?” He grabbed Angel by an arm and yanked him out of the trash, then promptly slammed him onto the pavement. “If it isn’t little Angel Dust himself,” they all circled around Angel, cracking knuckles and laughing menacingly.

“Gosh, what’s lil ol’ me to do? Surrounded by such big,  _ scary  _ men,” Angel drawled out, pushing himself up and grabbing the nearest lackey by the collar. A scrawny thing, apparently unarmed. Angel might’ve been a sex worker, but he was raised in the Mafia for fucks sake.

Angel slammed his head against the demon he was grabbing onto, effectively knocking him out, and shocking the other demons for a couple seconds. Angel used that time to scamper a few paces back, trying to put as much distance between himself and the thugs as possible. If there was anyone Angel didn’t want to deal with, it was Vox.

Unfortunately for Angel, he’d miscalculated the exact number of lackeys and backed straight into a rather large one, grunting when his soft backside collided with the giant horned creature. It huffed at him, and wrapped its muscled arms around Angel, tight enough to prevent further escape. The rest of the demons began their smug strut back towards him. 

“Man, Vox is gonna have one hell of a field day when I bring him  _ your  _ pink little ass,” Angel growled, trying to look as intimidating as possible and deter the man from touching him. Unfortunately for Angel, the man’s smooth, fin-like fingers curled themselves in his hair and yanked on it, forcing Angel to look up at him.

“But who’s to say we can’t have a little fun you first,” Angel fought the urge to retch as he slid the other hand down his shirt, which wasn’t particularly difficult as Angel had never bothered to change out of his sweater from last night. 

“Why, I think that would be me, my good fellow!” Angel almost cried at the radio static that filled the air, never more thankful to hear that godforsaken voice in his life. “And if you don’t mind, I’ll be taking Angel for a little fun of my own.”

“Manny, that’s the Radio Demon,” the scrawny one loudly whispered to the shark, who was very clearly unhappy.

“I KNOW who the FUCK it is KYLE,” Angel would’ve laughed if he wasn’t so scared, but that unsettling grin Al wore was definitely a little more than spooky. Angel felt the vice grip of the demon holding him loosening, but decided to wait it out a bit longer. 

“I’m gonna bring this little fucker to Vox, and you can’t do shit to stop me, this is Vox’s territory,” the shark stomped his foot and started walking towards Alastor, whose smile turned a bit manic for all but a few seconds before a gaping hole opened under the approaching demon and swallowed him whole. Al flourished with his microphone and directed a less threatening smile towards Angel. 

“Would anyone else care for a spin?” The tip of the staff made a small circle to demonstrate, and the horned thing holding Angel quickly dropped him with a huff. The other demons soon followed suit, and with the angry glare Al was sending his way, Angel wondered if he should too.

“Angel, might I question as to why, exactly, you’re strutting around this far from the hotel?” Alastor’s voice was slow and mildly patronizing, which Angel took great offence to.

“I can  _ strut  _ wherever I wanna  _ strut  _ ya’ overgrown strawberry,” Angel rolled his eyes as Alastor twitched, clearly unhappy with that answer.

“You do realize that outside of the hotel you are offered little or no protection from the vandals of the street,” Al gestured to the alley, walking closer to Angel and preparing to escort the spider home.

“I’ll be fine now that I’ve got ya’ to keep me safe, right?” Angel purred and draped his arms around Alastor’s shoulders, purposely making him uncomfortable. Alastor stepped back and put a staff’s length distance between them, growling out ‘five feet, Angel’ and looking at the other demon with a sour expression.

“Even I can be of little help here,” Al pointed to Vox’s building with the tip of the microphone, “it’d be best for you to return to the hotel regardless.” Angel didn’t like that answer, and besides, he still needed to chew Al out for being too much of a baby to discuss the terms of their contract.

“I’ll be fine, it’s not like I haven’t dealt with thugs before,” Angel stood as tall as he could and puffed out his chest. “I had everythin’ under control.”

“Oh of course,” Alastor made a sarcastic flourishing bow to Angel, “next time I’ll be sure to not intervene and leave you at the mercy of Vox and his associates,” Al flashed a sinister grin Angel’s way and started to walk farther down the alley.

“Hey! Come back! I haven’t even started bein’ mad at cha’ yet!” Angel quickly caught up to the other demon, both sets of arms crossed over his chest. “I wanna talk about our contract with  _ you  _ not secondhand from Charlie.” Alastor side-eyed him and sighed.

“Later, Angel. I’m rather busy at the moment,” Al quickened his pace and made a sharp left turn down a narrower alley. Angel all too gracefully kept pace, to the annoyance of Alastor.

“Well why don’t cha’ let me help then, you send Husk and Niffty out on errands all the time,” Angel liked to talk with his hands, Alastor realized, as the spider’s excess limbs were coming a bit too close. Alastor gripped his microphone tighter and stopped his walking to thrust the end of said microphone against Angel’s throat and snarling. 

“I don’t need your  _ help  _ Angel, you’d all but hinder my efforts. Walking around with you is like walking around with a giant highlighter, there’s not a single demon in Hell who doesn’t know who you are,” Alastor had dropped the radio tin halfway through his rambling, and between the pressure on his throat and Al’s voice Angel was admittedly a little bit turned on. Angel did his best to repress any lewd thoughts and continue his bickering.

“C’mon Al,” Angel put on all the charm he could and batted his eyelashes, “I was in the mob, remember? I’m sure I could be a  _ little  _ help. And I left without permission and I’m avoidin’ Charlie as long as I can.” He added the past rather quickly, grinning when Alastor released him and pulled on a strand of hair, apparently contemplating what Angel had said.

Angel felt a small trickle of fear as Alastor split into a wider grin, a devilish look overtaking his features.

“Angel, you have a brother down here, don’t you?” Angel nodded hesitantly, pulling his arms around himself. “Does he resemble you?”

“He’s a bit shorter an’ a lot greyer, an’ without all my lovely womanly charms,” Angel winked and puffed out his chest fluff, proving his point. Alastor grabbed Angel by the forearm and began practically dragging him down the alleyway.

“Fantastic.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally gonna have some plot blossoming up, as well as more fluffy tidbits here and there.


	6. Deception and Despair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel finds a way to aid Alastor in his plans, and Alastor worries more about Angel's safety than he should.

“So Smiles, how exactly are we gonna pull this off?” 

Alastor had taken Angel to a nearby abandoned building after explaining his ‘master plan.’ Basically, Alastor had been feeling a bit testier than normal, and felt the need to investigate Vox’s latest plan. After the odd conversation in the elevator, Alastor was worried that Vox and Valentino were up to no good. Both demons did find it rather strange that Val would just up and give away Angel’s contract. Alastor’s original plan was to plant a radio device near Vox’s building and eavesdrop, but with Angel butting in he came up with an even better idea.

Angel was going to walk right into Vox’s headquarters and figure out what was going on.

Well, not  _ Angel  _ exactly, as the only people who would know it was Angel would be Al and the spider himself. The plan was for Angel to appear as his brother, Arackniss, who had known ties with the Hellish Mafia and who had a very apparent distaste for his flamboyant brother. It only made sense that he’d want to help Vox take Angel down, obviously. 

Alastor grabbed a half empty bottle of cheap liquor off the dusty floor, and shook it teasing in Angel’s confused face.

“This my friend, is the first step,” Al gleefully dumped the bottle over Angel, dousing him and matting down his fur. 

“What tha’ fuck Al! Now I reek an’ my fluffs all flat,” Angel sadly stroked the once-fluffy fur on his chest, pouting before he realized what Alastor was trying to achieve. 

“Don’t fret Angel, we can fluff it back up later if it irks you that badly,” Alastor scooped up some dust from the ground, rubbing it between his fingers to see what would happen. Angel processed what the deer had said and smirked.

“We? If ya’ wanted to touch it that badly you coulda’ jus’ asked  _ Casanova,”  _ Angel giggled at Alastor’s flustered expression and noted that the tips of ears turned red when he was embarrassed. It would’ve been cute if Alastor wasn’t coming at him with handfuls of soot.

“Stay still, If any of your obnoxious fur peaks through Vox will have you electrocuted in an instant,” Alastor continued rubbing black soot into Angel’s fur, carefully hiding the pink markings. Angel did his best not to make any noises, but he hadn’t done any sex work in a  _ long  _ while, and he wasn’t sure if he could take Al’s claws raking through his fur any longer.

“Y’know Al, I could jus’ like, roll in it, It’d be a hell of a lot faster,” Alastor looked at him with a bewildered expression before narrowing his eyes and scoffing.

“I’d figured someone as high maintenance as yourself would be offended at the notion of rolling in filth,” Alastor crossed his arms like he was offended before backing away from the spider.

“Pssh, I'm not ‘high maintenance’, I take dust baths every other day to keep all fluffy an’ shiny,' ' Angel unceremoniously dropped to the group and started rubbing up his arms. Alastor almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation, but the reality of the situation was setting in fast: Angel would be doing recon on Vox’s territory. Alastor knew that Angel and Vox had history, presumably from Angel’s time at the Studio, seeing as Vox and Valentino were so close. That issue was that the Radio Demon didn’t know  _ what  _ exactly that history was, and not knowing things always seemed to irk him.

Angel was almost completely covered in soot now, and was carefully smoothing down his hair to appear more masculine.

“Angel, what exactly is your history with Vox? It isn’t hard to see that the two of you are acquainted,” Angel seemed to turn a bit pale under the soot, but Al was having trouble telling. The distraught look on Angel’s face however, was not difficult to discern.

“S’not really somethin’ I like talkin’ about, no offence to you,” Angel’s danced over Alastor’s face, doing his best to figure out what Al was feeling. He settled on thinking the deer looked anxious, as anxious as one can while smiling indefinitely of course. “We can talk about it when we’re back at the hotel, aight?” Angel was relieved that Alastor seemed content with that, but also worried at the notion of having to go through with that promise.

Once Al was happy with Angel’s disguise (which was rather jarring, as Alastor had grown used to the spider’s over-sexualized appearance) he led them both out of the building and near Vox’s headquarters.

“This is as far as I can go without Vox’s cameras seeing me,” Alastor and Angel were huddled down in a little patch of trees, far enough away from the building but close enough for Alastor to help if something went wrong.

“Angel here, put this in your ear so I can talk with you,” Alastor handed Angel a little earpiece, and Angel just looked at him dumbfounded.

“Al, I don’ have any ears!” Angel whisper-shouted at Alastor, pointing to either side of his head. Angel rubbed his temples and groaned. “It’ll be fine, ya’ worry-wart, I’ve done shit like this a million times before,” Alastor didn’t seem very convinced, but put the earpiece back in his pocket nonetheless. Angel stood to make his way towards the building, but turned back to Alastor before departing.

“If I’m not back in half an hour, somethin’s wrong, got it?” Al nodded, surprised at Angel's handling of the situation.

Alastor tucked himself deeper into the bushes before watching Angel strut off, and tried to fight the anxiety building up in him.

Angel walked through the first set of doors with relative ease, and did his best to look calm while approaching the front desk. Vox’s building was nothing like the Studio, this place looked more like a bunker than anything. The woman at the desk was fairly feline looking, with cropped black hair and three tails that splayed out behind her. 

“Name and reason,” her voice was cold and calculating, and Angel certainly didn’t like the way her eyes seemed to piece through his.

“Arackniss, an’ I wanna meet with the Boss,” Angel did his best to sound like his mob-boss brother, but it ended up a good few octaves higher than he would’ve liked. It must’ve been a least a little convincing though, because the cat lady didn’t mention it.

“Is he expecting you?” She raised a manicured eyebrow at him and reached for something under the desk. Fear trickled up Angel’s spine until she pulled out a pack of gum, and then did his best to calm down.

“No,” Angel swallowed and thought of the best excuse he could, “but I’ve got information for em,’ about my brother,” Angel made sure to hiss a little on the last word, trying to sound as disgusted at himself as possible. That seemed to do the trick, as the woman broke into a devilish smile.

“I’m sure he’d  _ love  _ to hear it,” she pressed a button and an elevator opened, much like the one in the Studio. Maybe they weren’t so different, aside from the glitz and glamour. 

Angel made sure to take small, heavier steps than normal as he walked to the elevator. Angel did look like his brother, but Angel was much taller and thinner, so he’d have to compensate for that. 

The elevator ride was quick and silent, as no one else had gotten on oddly enough. Angel figured that not many people went to actually see Vox, as he never remembered the TV getting many visitors. The elevator slowed to stop at the 13th floor, Vox’s favourite number. The doors opened with a ding, and Angel stepped out into a cold, barren hallway. It was just black tile and stark white walls, for someone who was friends with Val, Vox certainly liked a different style of decorating. There was a door, however, at the end of the hall. Figuring that it must lead to Vox’s office, Angel steeled himself and began walking towards it. 

When he reached the door, he gave a good few hard knocks, eyeing the gold nameplate with ‘Boss Man’ engraved in it.

“Come on in,” Vox’s voice hasn't changed much, still a little raspy from the smoking, while still holding a talk-show like quality. Angel took a breath and turned the knob, slowly stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. “Sit,” Vox motioned at a chair across from him, and Angel sat, wincing slightly at the frigid metal. He much preferred Valentino’s plush chairs.

“While it’s always a pleasure to see you Arackniss, I didn’t exactly call for you, did I?”  _ Shit _ , Angel didn’t think his brother would legitimately have ties to Vox. Angel wracked his brain to remember what Al told him to say.

“I heard around the grapevine that my lil’ brother’s been misbehavin’ more than normal,” Angel did his best to talk slowly and monotone, and hoped that Vox couldn’t see his hands shaking under the desk. Vox scoffed and went to rest the edge of his screen in his hand.

“The whore’s definitely been giving me more trouble than expected, I told Val not give away his contract to that  _ freak.”  _ Angel gulped and felt his claws digging into his thighs. “I would’ve been more than happy to take Angel Dust off his hands, he’s got quite the mouth on him, but he’s pretty useful once you get him to shut up,” Angel felt bile build in his throat and fought the urge to gag.  _ This  _ was why he detested Vox so much, he only saw Angel as a body to use as he pleased. Vox’s voice cut through the silence again.

“Did I ever tell you what I did to him? Man the look on that kids face when I told him the truth, that he’s just a little useless fucktoy,” Vox laughed and stood, apparently to get a bottle of wine.

“My brother’s always been a tad naive, doesn’t know when he’s bein’ played,” Angel did his best to keep his voice level, but it was starting to get difficult. He thought he was here for information, not to relive past trauma. Angel vowed to fucking strangle Alastor when he got out of this.

“Oh?” Vox was swirling around a wine glass now, strutting back over towards his seat. “He’s gotta learn not to fall for every Overlord that offers him a good deal,” Vox took a swig of wine and Angel attempted to focus on the little pixels it created on his screen. “Next thing we know he’ll be fucking that outdated radio.” 

Angel felt his blood boil, and hoped that Vox couldn’t see the red in his face, and with the way his thighs stung, Angel’s claws were definitely drawing blood at this point.

“How’re you gonna deal with the deer anyway? You an’ Val aren’t just gonna let him get away with cartin’ off my brother, are ya?’’ Vox gave him an odd look and snickered.

“We’ll get there at some point, certainly you didn’t come all this way from the Wrath District just to talk logistics did you?” Angel tried to twitch his lip in a way he’d seen his brother do often, mostly trying to stall time to make up an excuse.

“I’ve gotta lotta shit to take care of back at home, my dad can’t do it all, y’know?” There was an uncomfortable beat of silence before Vox spilt into a menacing grin, eyes locking on something behind Angel.

Angel was about to turn around before he felt a prickly finger rub down his arm, billowing soot out into the room in the process. Angel felt panic build throughout his body, and tried to use the adrenaline to shoot out of the room. He slammed into a looming puffy figure however, and two sets of arms pinned his own to the floor. That all to familiar, sickly sweet voice echoed in his head:

“You always were a bad actor, Angelcakes.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, things didn't go exactly to plan, did they?
> 
> Also, would you guys like longer chapters (3,000-4,000) words and have them take longer to crank out, or keep to the shorter chapters that are easier to write more often?
> 
> And don't fret, next chapter will be a little angsty buuuut things will finally start to ramp up between Al and Angel. A pretty decent compromise if I do say so myself.


	7. Stitches and Swift Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alastor has to rescue Angel, but that's only the beginning of the issues the two will have to unravel.

Alastor had almost plucked every blade of grass within his reach. His legs were starting to burn from squatting for so long, and he felt cold sweat beading at the back of his neck. Angel was currently six minutes and twelve seconds late. The spider had ensured him that everything would be fine, that he’d done this thousands of times, and most importantly, that he wouldn’t be late.

Alastor had already decided two minutes ago that he would be going in to make sure everything was, in fact, fine. All that was left was to figure out how he would get in the building without alerting anyone. Vox had practically every corner of the building secured with cameras, but Al had an easy way around that. The last few times he’d snuck into Vox’s headquarters he’d jammed the cameras around the back entrance and walked right in; Vox didn’t have very many staff. He’d have to use the back entrance again, but getting to the top of the building could prove an issue. Alastor had only ever snuck his way into the surveillance room, and used the screens to map out the building. Now however, he’d have to find a way to creep up to the very top floor, where Vox and Angel were. 

He stood on wobbly legs, making sure to stay under the tree cover until he reached the back door. Al flicked his microphone towards the cameras, using his radio waves to disrupt the signal. He slowly made his way to the door, staying mindful about where he was stepping. The door was unlocked, as per usual, and Alastor slipped inside.

He carefully closed the door and sent out a shadow to look out for any passerbys. Taking the elevator was definitely a bad idea, but so was using the stairs without a clear path. Stopping by the surveillance room was his best bet then he could be completely certain where Angel was. If Vox had done  _ anything  _ to Angel, it was well within Alastor’s rights to give him what he deserves. Seeing as Angel belonged to Alastor now and all.

The door was heavy and made of polished steel, and it hissed a little when Al opened it. The room was dark and cool just like last time, but there were considerably more screens than last time. Thankfully none of them were within range to have seen Alastor sneak in. There still weren’t any in his office, a few in the lobby, a couple in various hallways, and one in a room he’d never seen before. The new room was apparently all dark steel paneling, with a single chair sitting in the middle of the room. Propped up in the chair, rather limpy one might add, was what seemed to be the body of some poor soul. Alastor zoomed the camera in a bit and felt all the hair on his stand up. There sat Angel, bloody and bruised in the chair. All of his arms were tied behind him, including the third extra set. Alastor nearly growled as he left the room, setting off directly towards Angel. He’d love to go and rip Vox’s screen off his scrawny little neck, but the last thing both Alastor and the hotel need is a turf war of that extent. 

Alastor needed to go down two flights of stairs to reach the room, and after coming to the landing of the last one, he was brought begrudgingly to a halt. It was the shadow he’d sent out earlier, gesturing outside to what was most likely one of Vox’s goons. Alastor huffed and peaked around the corner, his smile going wicked when he saw that it was the large, horned demon that had subdued Angel earlier. The creature was facing away from Al, apparently guarding the door to Angel’s cell. Al stepped fully out into the hallway, and began opening a portal to swallow up the demon. He did it quickly, so that the only noise was the small slurping sound the portal made when it closed. Alastor approached the door cautiously, being alert for any traps or extra hallway cameras he’d forgotten. This door was also unlocked, but considerably heavier. It groaned when Al forced it open and he swiveled his ears around to make sure nobody was coming. 

He let the door shut behind him, causing Angel to whimper from his place in the chair. At least the spider was alive, that was a plus.

“Angel!” Alastor hissed at him, trying to get his attention without alerting the camera. Angel’s head snapped up, big round eyes focused on his face. Angel had been crying, he could tell from the puffiness and the red in his eyes.

“Al? I thought you’d gone back to tha’ hotel,” Angel’s voice came out raspy and hoarse, and he was very visibly more worried than he was before. “Why’d ya’ come in idiot! What if they come back?” Alastor disabled the camera before walking closer to Angel.

“Would you rather me have left you here?” Angel glanced away from Alastor and made a point to not say anything. Al began fiddling with the rope around Angel’s hands, mildly bothered at the fact that he’d gone out of his way to save him and yet Angel didn’t seem to care. Not that Alastor cared about Angel caring, but recognition is always nice. 

Once Angel was free they both started for the door, although with Angel limping Al grew worried that it might be a bit of a hassle to get him out in one piece. Thankfully, most of Vox’s staff had gone home, and getting to the stairs was slightly easier than anticipated. Getting up them, however, would be a challenge. Alastor glanced at Angel, who was gently panting and clutching his side. One of his legs was clearly injured, and although Alastor grimaced at his intrusive thought, he’d have to get Angel up there somehow, right?

“Get on,” Alastor had knelt down by the bottom of the stairs, ears pink and flat on his head. Angel did his best not to laugh, he certainly wouldn’t want to ruin the gesture. Angel timidly made his way behind Al, and although he didn’t weigh much, Angel was certainly taller than the deer.

“Are ya’ sure Al? I’m not as light as I seem,” Angel wrapped his upper pair of arms around Alastor’s neck and braced the lower set around his waist. 

“Angel if you don’t get on now I will drag you up the stairs by your hair,” Angel snorted and repressed the urge to make any snide comments. He slowly propped his legs up on Alastor’s hips, doing his best to wrap around the demon being as tall as he is. Alastor grumbled something under his breath, but set up the stairs nonetheless, at a much more brisk pace than Angel had assumed. Angel wasn’t super heavy sure, but it’s not like he was light either. He’d definitely expected to go at a much slower pace up the stairs at least.

They reached the top and Angel clamoured off Al’s back, trying to ignore the laboured breathing coming from the deer. 

“You were a tad heavier than I expected,” Al smoothed his hair back and popped a few knuckles. Angel laughed, still clutching at his side, and Alastor worried that he may have a broken rib or two. Alastor led him to the back entrance after checking to make sure no one was lurking about. Al kept a steady hand on Angel’s back, guiding him through the woods and out of Vox’s territory. The walk seemed to take a lot out of Angel though, and by the time they ended up back at the hotel he was practically draped in Alastor’s arms.

  
  
  


Despite Charlie’s pandering, Alastor had ensured her that he would explain everything once he’d tended to Angel. Which said spider was rather thankful for after all the trouble he’d already caused Charlie and Vaggie. 

Angel had insisted that he could take care of himself, but Alastor was adamant on helping the demon, mumbling something about being ‘gentlemanly.’ So here Angel is, propped up in his bed against his many pillows, with the Radio Demon stitching his arms up. Angel hissed at a particularly painful stitch, but tried not to flinch away from the needle.

“I apologise,” Alastor lifted the needle away and waited for the pain to ebb, and unreadable expression on his face.

“S’not your fault Al, you’re fixin’ me up after all,” Alastor glanced to the bruising on Angel’s leg, which had swollen a good bit since getting back. 

“I wasn’t talking about the stitching,” he yanked on the thread a little tighter and Angel grimaced. “You wouldn’t even be in this mess if I hadn’t suggested anything.” Alastor was mumbling under his breath, the theatrics of his usual voice all but gone. Angel giggled a bit and fiddled with his nails.

“Honestly I prolly would’ve followed ya’ anyway,” Al glared at him and Angel winked in response. “Thank you though, for gettin’ me outta there,” Alastor watched Angel’s demeanour change, and wracked his brain for a way to fix the situation.

“I couldn’t just let someone under my supervision get kidnapped like that, especially if they were there on my behalf,” that seemed to strike a chord with Angel, who visibly winced.

“About tha,’ I know you don’t wanna talk about it, but we gotta get my contract fixed in place pretty soon,” Alastor drummed his fingers on his knee and spaced out a bit. “I know ya’ don’t like the sex stuff, but I’m in Hell for a reason Al, if I don’t get-,” Angel paused and glanced at Al’s distraught expression, “ _ intimate  _ soon I’m gonna get all antsy,” Angel did his best to try and come up with a comparison that Alastor would understand. 

“You’ve gotta eat people dont’cha?” Angel tilted his head quizzically at Alastor, who huffed and looked shocked in response. There were cannibals in Hell of course, it was just one of those ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ type things.

“I suppose so, yes,” Alastor had finished stitching now, sitting back on the chair he’d dragged beside Angel’s bed.

“An’ ya’ get bothered when you don’t do it for awhile?” Alastor nodded and almost laughed at Angel’s explanatory expressions. He’d drawn the comparison almost immediately, but was enjoying watching the spider fluster around trying to explain things in non-vulgar terms. “It’s like the same kinda thing, you gotta eat people sometimes and I gotta screw people sometimes.” Angel made his final point with a flourish, almost knocking over the sewing thread Alastor had brought. Al scoffed at him and pushed his chair back to stand.

“I suppose you’re right, Angel,” Alastor crossed his arms and smiled wider. “But I’d already considered that when I wrote up your new contract.” The deer manifested the piece of paper with a puff of green smoke. It was still unrolled, so Angel wasn’t bound to it yet, technically.

“Can I read it?” Angel looked up at it carefully, a seed of anxiety blossoming in his stomach. Alastor handed over the paper, and Angel was baffled by the lack of writing, in fact, there were only four things listed:

    1. Listen to Charlie
    2. Stay out of trouble unless instructed otherwise
    3. Take care of all scandalous business on your own time



  * _Don’t take shit from other demons_



The fourth one was scribbled in Charlie’s loopy handwriting, and Angel felt his chest go a bit warm from the thought that Charlie had helped write his contract. Angel looked up at Al, who was smiling expectantly, but Angel was at a loss for words. Val’s contract had been  _ miles  _ long, going on and on about who he could see and what he could do, how much money he had to make and when he had to be at the Studio. Alastor’s contract seemed so vague. 

“Is it to your liking?” Angel handed the paper back to Al, who was prepared to roll it up and bind it. When Val bound his contract, he hadn’t asked, just gave Angel a few minutes to read it over and that was that.

“S’good,” Angel was quiet and petted beside him on the bed for Fat Nuggets to come over. The pig looked up at Alastor with doting eyes, obviously expecting to be cuddled to sleep again. Al did his best to ignore the pig’s stare and rolled up the paper, tying it shut with a dark burgundy ribbon.

“That’s that then,” Alastor turned to leave, and Angel felt a swell of warmth through his upper body.

“Hey wait up Al, I wasn’t done ya’ freak,” Alastor stopped in the doorway, wincing as Angel stood on wobbly legs and hobbled towards him. 

“Angel, you need to rest,” Alastor spoke softly as Angel propped himself against a chair in front of Al. Angel looked so small and frail, and leant over on the chair was now a good few inches shorter than Alastor.

“I wanna say a proper ‘thank you,’ my mama would have my head if I didn’t,” Alastor cocked a brow and suppressed a laugh at the notion of Angel using proper manners. Angel fiddled with the hem of his shirt and Alastor watched Angel’s pink spots grow a bit pinker.

“So thank ya’ Alastor, for savin’ me and fixin’ me up,” Angel opened his mouth like he had more to say, but quickly closed it. Alastor chuckled and began a swift ‘you’re quite welcome,’ but was cut short when Angel pressed a small kiss on his cheek. It was so light and fast that Alastor wondered if he’d imagined it, and before he had time to confront Angel the door was promptly slammed shut as the flustered spider yelled ‘g’night!’ 

  
  
  
  



	8. Little Blushing Baby Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alastor has to face what he's been feeling recently, and Angel feels all kinds of crazy.
> 
> And what could Charlie be planning?

Alastor hadn't retired to his room that night, he’d tried to of course, but something about being completely isolated in his room with his  _ feelings  _ didn’t sit right with him. Instead, the frazzled deer had gone down to the lobby to chat with Husk, something he’d always done when he felt off. 

The cat had known Al long enough to be able to read all his faces, and had a shot of whiskey prepared by the time Al sat down at the bar. 

“Thank you, my friend,” Al caught the glass that Husk slid down the bar, and downed the whole thing in a single swig. Both men winced and shared a knowing glance. Husk poured another drink, understanding that there was clearly something that Alastor needed to get off his chest.

“You okay bud? Ya’ look kinda put-off,” Husk propped his head on his paw and lazily stared at Al, waiting for the demon to rant to him. Alastor met his gaze and sighed, clearly reluctant to say anything.

“I need you to swear to me that you will not, under any circumstance, tell anyone about this,” Husk blinked at him a few times.

“You’re holding the deed to my soul, I ain’t gonna risk dying again to gossip,” Husk rolled his eyes and went to pour himself a drink. He was trying to sound flippant, but he’d never seen Al  _ this  _ worked up about something and it was leaving a bad feeling in his stomach. 

Alastor swallowed heavily before opening his mouth to explain the situation. The issue though, is that Al didn’t exactly understand what was happening himself. He’d saved Angel, because he owned his contract and couldn’t just let the spider die, then he’d helped fix Angel up, because he obviously couldn’t let Charlie do it because she has so little experience in first aid. Those things were explainable, but the fact that Angel had the audacity to  _ kiss  _ Alastor, and the fact that the deer didn’t burn him to the ground for it, was completely unexplainable. The last time someone had done the same, Alastor had his shadows drag the man underground and suffocate him to death. But when Angel had done it, Al hadn’t felt angry, only completely taken aback. Remembering the event was causing his face to grow warm and his ears twitch, something Husk picked up on all too quickly.

“Did you fuck Angel?” Husk ws gaping at him with a very worried expression, and Alastor felt his face completely flush at Husk’s exclamation.

“Heaven’s no!” Alastor yelled a bit louder than he intended to, making Husk flinch back slightly. 

“Well then what the fuck happened? You look like you’re bouta pop a gasket,” Husk took the liquor away from the flustered demon, stowing it away under the bar.

“He kissed me,” Alastor whispered under his breath, evidently afraid that someone would hear the  _ scandalous  _ news. Husk’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

“And he  _ lived? _ ” Al scoffed and glared at him, but Husk remained surprised. “How did that-” he pressed his fingertips together to mimic kissing, “y’know, happen?” Alastor sucked in a breath through his teeth before answering.

“I was leaving after tending to his injuries, and he said that he needed to ‘thank me’ and then he kissed me!” Alastor pointed to the offended cheek, “right here!” Husk was now completely flabbergasted, and was doing his best to comprehend the situation. He took a deep breath and rubbed his temples.

So Angel Dust, a famous pornstar mind you,” Alastor grimaced, “said that he wanted to ‘thank’ you, but just kissed you on the cheek,” Al nodded, ears still tinted a bit red. 

“And THAT’S what has you worked up? Of all the things a slutty pornstar could’ve done and a kiss on the cheeks got you blushing like a little girl?” Alastor gave him a look that shut him up fast, then crossed his arms and slumped down unto the bar.

“What am I going to do?”

* * *

  
  
  


“What am I gonna  _ do  _ Nugs!” Angel spun his pig around, ungracefully landing the both of them on the bed with a ‘thump.’ Angel had spent the entirety of last night thinking about what he’d done, and had decided that he wouldn’t be leaving his room this morning. Angel groaned again and stood to get dressed.

“I can’t believe I kissed em,’” his voice came out muffled as he put on a cropped pink shirt. “An’ on the cheek of all places, when did I turn into a little girl huh?” Fat Nuggets cocked his head at the spider, earning a scratch behind the ear. 

Angel didn’t know  _ why  _ exactly he’d kissed Alastor, it’s not like he was trying to seduce him or anything, he let that ship sail a long time ago. Maybe it was a spur of the moment type thing, they had just escaped from Vox’s headquarters, and Angel hasn't done  _ anything  _ with  _ anyone  _ in ages. He could talk to Cherri about it, but then he risked the girl making fun of him for ages. For now, he’d settle to venting about it to Nuggets, and praying nobody could hear.

Angel knew he’d have to apologise to Alastor, the man had instilled a five foot barrier rule for Christ’s sake. Although Angel was starting to wonder if that rule was as strict as he thought, with all the touching they’d been doing lately. The thought of Alastor carrying him up all those stairs came to mind, making Angel feel things he’d really rather not feel about the Radio Demon. 

“I guess tha’ guys stronger than he looks,” Angel started to turn around to use his bathroom.

“Who’s stronger than he looks?” Niffty’s tiny voice popped up suddenly, making Angel yelp and fall backwards onto the bed. 

“Jesus kid, whaddya’ tryin’ to do? Give me a heart attack?” Angel clutched his chest dramatically and looked at the door, almost certain that he’d locked it. “How’d ya’ get in?” Angel looked skeptically to Niffty, who waved her hand dismissively in response. 

“Ms. Charlie sent me up to get you, she’s planned a fun outing for everyone and would like you to go downstairs,” she nodded quickly before adding: “and I would also like you to go downstairs, I haven’t cleaned this room in ages and it’s bothering me, so please-”

“I got it, I got it,” Angel sat up and frantically waved his hands, trying to stop the small demon’s ranting. Niffty bobbed her head up and down again, before zipping over to the corner of Angel’s room and leaving through an unscrewed air vent. Angel scoffed at her forced entry, and went to find his duck tape to ensure the vent  _ stayed  _ closed. 

Angel pet Fat Nuggets for a while, contemplating what Niffty had told him. If Charlie was planning something, it would probably involve everyone, which would include the deer that Angel needed to avoid for a bit. He walked to the bathroom to freshen up before facing everyone downstairs. Angel gazed at his reflection in the mirror, taking in the brighter pink of his spots. Since he was covered in fur, the only visible indicator of him being embarrassed was that his pink bits grew a tad brighter. 

Thinking about the issue with Alastor only seemed to make the flushing  _ worse,  _ and Angel wondered if he’d even be able to go downstairs at this rate. Hell, he hadn’t been this worked up since his first gig with Val. Angel grabbed a fistful of his hair and tugged a little, trying to snap himself out of it so that he could face everyone without feeling like a crazy person.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the shorter chapter, but the next one's gonna be a doozy, I've already got it all planned out! Also, thank you guys for all the precious comments, it really touches my heart to see that other people like the story as much as I do.


	9. Walking a Thin Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel and Alastor have a long, mostly awkward talk.

Angel had taken the walk downstairs rather slowly, so when he finally arrived everyone else had already gathered at the table. Charlie sat at the head, with Vaggie to her right and Husk to her left. Niffty sat on the other side of Husk, eyeing Angel with a curious look. Funnily enough, there was a single seat left: right next to Alastor. 

Angel pulled out the chair with a much louder screech than intended and plunked himself down. He did everything he could to avoid eye contact with the deer.

“Alright! Now that Angel’s here, I can finally go over my exciting plan!” Charlie was chipper as usual, and Angel watched Vaggie smile lovingly at her while she shuffled some papers around. Charlie found the paper she was searching for and brought it close to her face with a broad smile. 

“So you gonna tell us this plan o’ yours or just keep smiling at the paper?” Husk was clearly not excited about the mandatory meeting, in contrast to Niffty, who was bouncing in her seat.

“We’ll get there,” Charlie stood abruptly and strutted over to a cardboard box that sat atop Husk’s bar. “But first,” she pulled a package from the box, wrapped in black sparkly paper. “I have presents!” She slammed the box down in front of Husk, who flinched back and offered a pained smile in response.

“Thanks Princess…” Husk lifted a corner of the paper suspiciously. “But what’s the occasion?” Charlie flailed her hands and moved over to pull another package from the box. 

“I just thought I’d get everyone a little something special to lift up morale around the Hotel, that’s all,” at the end of her explanation she sat a long, gray box in front of Vaggie and a tiny, bright pink box in front of Niffty. 

“That’s so sweet,” Vaggie went to open her box, tearing off the paper and revealing a brand new spear, perfectly polished and much sharper than her old one. She rubbed the tip lightly and side-hugged her girlfriend, earning a mock groan from Angel and an eye-roll from Husk. 

“And now you two,” Husk and Niffty started opening their boxes while Charlie sat two small boxes in front of Alastor and Angel. One light pink and the other a deep red. Angel held the box to his ear and shook it, earning an almost inaudible laugh from the demon beside him. Angel felt his face flush and turned to focus on Husk and Niffty. 

Husk had received a large bottle of vintage whiskey, clearly now just as excited with the meeting as Charlie. Niffty was slowly opening her present, determined to save the pretty paper it was delicately wrapped in. While she took her time, Angel began opening his gift, startled when he touched soft, silky fabric. Angel pulled the dress out of the box, and stared at the tasteful design. It wasn’t long, but not too short either, which would be good with Angel’s long legs. The dress itself was a light, dusty pink and had a glittery sheen to it, along with cut outs along the hips and shoulders, leading to the elbow length, draping sleeves. Angel blinked a couple times before gaping at Charlie.

“How much did this cost?” Angel was clearly shocked, and Charlie responded with a sheepish grin.

“I wouldn’t know, all I did was wrap it!” Charlie avoided any more of Angel’s questions and slid across the room to Niffty, who’d finally opened her gift. It was a shiny, new bottle of her favourite cleaner that was almost always sold out. Niffty hugged Charlie and zipped away, evidently to start cleaning the hotel.

Husk also made his leave, going to restock the bar and polish the counters. Alastor had stowed his present away, apparently wanting to open it in private. Angel took one last glance at Al before standing to make coffee. 

A caffeine buzz was nothing compared to  _ actual  _ drugs, but it was certainly as close as Angel was gonna get under Charlie’s watchful eye. Angel was on the fourth tablespoon of sugar when the kitchen door was opened. Alastor walked in, right past Angel, and grabbed a mug off the rack beside the fridge. Angel held a breath while Al poured a cup of coffee, trying his best to keep his eyes trained on his own sugary cup, and not the way that Alastor’s arm flexed as he put the coffee pot back. By  _ God _ if Angel didn’t get laid soon he’s gonna lose his fucking mind, he’s standing here fantasizing about the  _ Radio Demon  _ of all people. 

Angel let out a slight cough, and Alastor rolled his eyes to the side to look at him, and Angel could swear that  _ bastardo  _ was smirking at him. 

“We should talk,” Alastor’s jarring voice snapped Angel back into the real world, making him flinch and almost spill coffee everywhere. After processing his words all the anxiety of this morning came crashing back down on him, causing Angel to start mumbling and fiddling around.

“M’sorry Al,” Angel backed away and turned to face the deer, but continued to avoid his face. “I swear I didn’t mean nothin’ by it, just kinda happened without thinkn’ that’s all,” Angel was ready to keep on rambling but stopped when Alastor frantically waved in his face.

“Not that! Why in the Nine Circles would I bring  _ that  _ up,” Angel finally looked directly at Al, taken aback by the demon’s flustered face and frantic features. He would’ve laughed had he not been so flustered himself.

“Well ya’ came in here all spooky-like, goin’ ‘We need to talk’ like an angry housewife or somethin,’” Angel placed his lower set of arms on his hips and crossed the other set in front of his chest petulantly. Alastor was glad to see Angel quipping like his normal self, but the limp in his leg and bruising around his eye was still fairly noticeable.

“Angel I was referring to when you were  _ kidnapped  _ yesterday,” Alastor pointed at Angel’s limp leg as if to remind him, not that Angel needed any reminding. Angel shifted his weight from one leg to another, hissing slightly when pain shot up from his knee.

Alastor cocked his head as to say ‘I told you so’ and crossed his arms, mimicking Angel. 

“M’fine, s’just a couple scratches an’ a bum leg, it’ll heal up soon,” Angel picked at the hem of his shirt and pouted, resembling a young child. That thought made Alastor laugh a bit, making Angel’s head shoot up as he swat the deer’s head.

“Don’t cha’ laugh at me Bambi!” Alastor did promptly stop laughing, only to grab Angel’s wrist tightly and sneer at him. 

“Do not call me that,” with the radio filter gone and his voice a few octaves lower than normal, Angel could feel the rush of warmth crawling back up his spine. 

“Yeah sure, whatever ya’ want freakshow,” Angel’s words came out breathier than intended, but he took it in stride and pulled his hand from Alastor’s grip. Angel turned to leave, but stopped when a spontaneous idea popped into his head. If Alastor could make Angel uncomfortable, why couldn’t he return the favour? 

Face still a bit warm and coffee in hand, Angel propped his arm on his hip and spoke in the most sensual voice he could muster.

“You wanna go for a walk?”

* * *

  
  


Angel had convinced Alastor to follow him outside to the green space Charlie had added onto the Hotel, but every attempt the spider made to fluster the demon had resulted in nothing. Hell, he’d even left to change into the skimpiest thing he owned: a black outfit composed of a miniskirt and bra that Cherri had given him. Even that however, had garnered not even a single second glance at the spider’s body.

Eventually, Angel had just given up, and just opted for letting Al ramble about his family’s old recipes, which was cuter than it should've been to Angel. After Angel had given up on his flirting, he focused more on their surroundings as Alastor talked. The green space was about as nice of a garden you were going to get in Hell, with teal-ish grass and a brackish pond in the center. The wind had picked up, and Angel was reminded of the very few layers of clothing he was wearing. The thin, nylon fabric did nothing to fight the chill, and Angel brought his arms around himself. 

Alastor must have noticed, because he stopped speaking for a couple seconds and quickly draped his own coat around Angel without missing a beat. Angel was rightfully startled and found himself stopping mid-step. Alastor continued walking, apparently oblivious to the spider’s plight, and kept on talking, now on the topic of his cousin-slash-mother-in-law and Angel suddenly wished he’d been listening.

He started walking again, still having trouble focusing on what Alastor was saying. Angel pulled the coat closer in on himself, and found himself warming up from things other than the thick cotton jacket. It smelled like firewood and whiskey, but also something slightly metallic that Angel didn’t want to think about too hard. 

“Isn’t that neat, Angel?” Alastor had stopped walking and Angel almost tumbled to the ground trying not to crash into him, quickly thinking of how to answer the question.

“Uh, y-yeah, supa’ neat,” Alastor smiled maliciously and clicked his nails together.

“Seeing as I’d trotted off to the topic of cannibalism, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you weren’t listening,” Alastor poked Angel’s forehead and the taller demon pouted again, earning another soft chuckle from Al.

“I was tryin’ to I swear, ya’ just talk so fast s’hard to ‘tune in,’” Angel laughed at his radio joke while walking towards the mailbox. Charlie had it installed to try and encourage her parents to respond to her letters, but to no avail. There was one letter poking out however, and Angel carefully plucked it from the mailbox. 

Alastor had given up on rambling, seeing as Angel clearly had no interest in old Louisiana cooking, and he opted for peering over Angel’s shoulder at the letter. Fittingly enough, it was addressed to Angel, with his name embossed on the front in pretty gold lettering. Angel ran his finger over the letters, much to Alastor’s dismay.

“Well, aren’t you going to open it? It’s a letter you know, you’re supposed to  _ read  _ it,” Angel elbowed him in the ribs after he mumbled something along the lines of ‘assuming you can read’ and turned his body so that the deer couldn’t see the contents of the letter. 

Angel opened the letter and folded out the paper inside, scanning the small handwriting. It too, was in gold ink, and a handwriting that Angel hadn’t seen before. Angel pocketed the letter after reading it, and Alastor decided that he did not like the way Angel smiled and practically skipped away towards the hotel. Alastor huffed and kept up a brisk pace to match Angel’s, who upon reaching the door turned around to face Al.

Angel leant down near him and Alastor felt his ears grow hot, thinking for a split second that Angel might just kiss him again. Instead, Angel smiled sweetly, and dropped Al’s jacket into his arms. Satisfied that he’d finally flustered the deer, Angel turned around and continued walking back to his room with Alastor at his heels. 

Vaggie and Charlie watched the odd pair, with Angel bounding through the hotel and Alastor yelling about a letter. Angel was about to start leaping up the stairs, but Al slipped his microphone under the tight fabric of Angel’s shirt and yanked him back. 

“If you don’t tell me about the contents of the letter I will consider reworking your contract to have some far  _ harsher  _ terms and conditions,” Angel felt a shiver go down his spine at the thought, and poked his tongue out at Alastor.

“You’re no fun,” Angel detached himself from the microphone and adjusted his shirt.

“Angel,” Alastor spoke sternly and Angel fished the letter out of his chest fluff. He held it out in front of Alastor’s face for the deer to read. The sickly sweet smirking expression had returned to Angel’s face. 

“Some lil ol’ fella wants to take me out on a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably a 'calm before the storm chapter,' because I've got some pretty angsty stuff planned for the next one.


End file.
